RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Repaired "Phalanx"
"The final beast could be reawakened," - TSWotP's Story Summary, referring to the Gundam. The RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Repaired "Phalanx", or just Unicorn Gundam, Unicorn Repaired, Unit Zero-Three, The Third Beast, Unicorn, Gundam, or "Phalanx", is a Mobile Suit set to appear in the story Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn: The Sheltering Wings of the Protector. It is the extensively repaired version of the that was severely damaged, and assumed destroyed during the events of . Technology and Combat Characteristics After it went rampant during its test flight with the , the Phenex was presumed to be destroyed after its battle with the , as its wreckage was never found by the EFSF search party. The unit, however, was not completely destroyed. The floating wreckage was later retrieved by the , and the third Gundam remained dormant until its reactivation just a year later. In its repaired state, the Gundam undergone extensive hull modifications, replacing its golden, anti-beam coating frames with white ones, with its Normal Mode and even Destroy Mode being nearly identical to the , if it were not to its blue psyco-frame, as opposed to Unicorn's red ones. In its normal mode, the Phalanx's head is similar in appearance to those of Londo Bell's mass-produced mobile suits, a faceless head unit with a single, straight, jade compound optics, with the addition of a single, horn-like antenna extending from the forehead. This antenna, would later be split in half, forming a V-Fin right above the main camera and the twin-compound sensors. Destroy Mode is the form taken by the Phalanx when the NT-D system inside it activates. It marks its transformation sequence by a characteristically blue glow from the suit's internal, unexposed frames. The Gundam will then open up the locked hard-points, revealing the pysco-frames within the the joints and armor seams. Said psyco-frame, as it's attributed to the Psyco-field phenomenon, will glow a radiant cyannish-blue, as opposed to the Unicorn's crimson/pinkish-red. The suit's overall height is increased, and multiple thrusters, originally hidden on its knee joints, skirt, and backpack, are revealed. A concealed pair of beam sabers on the backpack will also be usable. The Phalanx's optimal sensor range will be increased, as another pair of sub-sensors are revealed on the shoulders' hard-points. The faceless head unit will also flip inside, revealing a Gundam face, and the single-horn antennae will split into two, creating a V-Fin similar to the RX-0's. Note that the Phenex's original, wings-like V-Fin is replaced with a more simple split-horn. While already restored to a proper, working condition, and while it's said to be the 'improved' version of the Phenex, the Phalanx's overall performance ultimately, and unfortunately fails it, as it falls way behind the original third unit due to the Vist Foundation's lack of technology, staff, and crew to restore the Gundam. However, thanks to its combat data retrieved from units 01 and 02, the engineers from the Foundation'd at least tweaked its design so it would at least be compatible with its brothers. The repaired form of the Phenex is also noticeably more fragile than its predecessor unit. The unit also retains one of its two, Armed Armor DE, said compartment has also been repaired, and it, along with the Phalanx, has lost its golden-trim, and the white, Luna-Titanium Alloy replaces its key component instead. The Phalanx also retains the cyan-blue psyco-frame glow from the Phenex. Special Equipment and Features ;* : The NT-D also needs the pilot's approval of the activation. This part of the system was added when the Phenex was put into repairs, so it would not go berserk again after detecting a Newtype entering its sensor range. History The Phenex's wreckage, was later discovered by the Vist Foundation, and it was fielded in for repairs. The grueling process took months to complete and restore the Gundam to its full potential, and even then, the Foundation couldn't fully repair the Phenex. The golden hull was replaced with a much more dull-white coating, made from Luna Titanium Alloy. Losing all of its Phoenix-like essence, the Phenex was ceremoniously renamed to "Phalanx". Due to its absence of the La+ Program, the unit stayed asleep and was not activated during the first assault on Industrial 7 on U.C. 0096. The Gundam stayed under the radars, both from the Earth Federation's and the Neo-Zeon's. It was not until months later, a new pilot calls forth the repaired Gundam and reactivates its NT-D system, and even awaken it to its fullest potential.